Celebrating Panama's Independence with THRIVE!

*This post contains affiliate links.  I earn a small commission on any purchases made through these links.*

Today is Panama's Independence Day.  And since I was born and raised there (spend the first 18 years of my life there), I decided it is worth celebrating!  And anyone who knows me knows a celebration is not really a celebration unless it includes food!  

I grew up eating Arroz con Pollo (Panamanian Chicken and Rice).  It is one of the best meals I've ever eaten.  It is pretty much a staple in most Panamanian homes.  I'm sure everyone's recipe is just a little different -- and I'm equally sure everyone is sure theirs is the best :).  

One challenge of the recipe I have is the amount of time it takes to make.  My traditional recipe takes 2 to 2 1/2 hours and lots of chopping.  Onions, celery, bell pepper, carrots....  Not to mention the raw meat that has to be browned, then boiled, then cooled, then shredded...  It's a lot of work!  Don't get me wrong -- it's totally worth it.  But with that much hands-on time required, I simply can't make this most of the time.  I have two young children and a lot of other household responsibilities.  So, alas, Arroz con Pollo hasn't been something I could just include in our monthly menu.  

...Until now!  I decided to THRIVE-alize my recipe!  You can find the recipe here (plus, I added an additional 1/2 tablespoon of THRIVE Life's awesome Vegetarian Chicken Bouillon for tonight's meal).

I even did a couple videos to show how easy this is to prepare when you don't have to wash, chop, shred, etc!  In fact, I prepared 2 meals in 10 minutes (in a jar):

And it took me less than 4 minutes to get tonight's dinner cooking once it was time to actually prepare it:

And above you see the finished product (ready in 30 to 40 minutes as opposed to 2 to 2 1/2 hours!).  So yum!  Happy Independence Day, Panama!  And thanks for the happy memories of growing up in such a beautiful, unique place!

P.S.  I also made Canal Zone Empanadas :).  

Happy THRIVEing!

Q-Pon Cooking: September 2015: Sweet Corn -- Chicken Taco Soup

To wrap up September's Q-Pon Cooking with the popular and delicious THRIVE Sweet Corn, I made some Chicken Taco Soup!  Fall is really starting to be in the air around here and the leaves are turning the beautiful reds, oranges, and browns.  So why not make some soup!?!  I actually developed this recipe on my own, based on a crock pot recipe I used to always make.  The problem with that crock pot recipe is that it used almost all canned ingredients, and my husband always told me that it was too salty.  So after he ate this one and I asked him his opinion, he said it was a lot less salty than usual!  I told him it was because I used all my THRIVE ingredients and made up the recipe myself :)!  I was kind of excited about that!  Truth is, THRIVE has helped me become more adventurous in the kitchen, and I love it!

So here's my chicken taco soup (which I threw in the crock pot at about noon, and it was ready at 1!)  The beauty of this is that you don't even have to use the crock pot!  I simply did, because both kids were down for a nap, so that meant I could get everything in the crock pot and heating and didn't have to worry about it when the kids were both awake!  But it can easily be thrown into a saucepan on the stove and brought to a boil, then reduced to simmer for 20 minutes and it'd be done!

CHICKEN TACO SOUP
1/2 cup THRIVE Instant Pinto Beans
1/4 cup THRIVE Sliced Onion
3/4 cup THRIVE Sweet Corn
1/2 cup THRIVE Instant Black Beans
2 tablespoons THRIVE Green Chilis
3/4 cup THRIVE Chopped Chicken
3 teaspoons THRIVE Chicken Boullion
1 teaspoon taco seasoning
1 10-ounce can Rotel
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
5 cups water

Add all ingredients to crock pot and cook on low 4 to 5 hours.  Serve with your favorite toppings and tortilla chips! 

*Alternately, you can add all ingredients to a saucepan, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer 20 minutes.

This was awesome, and I will make it again!  It can even be a jar meal!

There are only a couple days left to get the THRIVE Sweet Corn at Q-Pon price!  Contact me at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com if you're interested in learning more!!

Happy THRIVEing!

Q-Pon Cooking: September 2015: Sweet Corn -- Southwestern Egg Rolls

I had Southwestern Egg Rolls on our 2-week menu list for about a month (we just didn't get to it last pay period), so today, I decided I needed to use those egg roll wrappers!  As I looked over the recipe today, I realized I could completely THRIVEalize this meal!!!  And so I did :).  The original recipe can be found here.  The recipe below is my THRIVEalized version!

1 1/2 cup THRIVE Sweet Corn
1 cup THRIVE Spinach
3/4 cup THRIVE Instant Black Beans
1/4 cup THRIVE Green Chilis
3 tablespoons THRIVE Green Onions
1 cup THRIVE Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
1 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese*
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 package egg roll wrappers
2 1/2 cups water, divided

*Denotes other ingredients available through THRIVE Life.

In a small saucepan, bring 1 1/2 cups water and black beans to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.

While the beans are cooking, put all remaining THRIVE ingredients into a large bowl and mix well.  Add 1 cup water and mix.  Allow to sit while beans finish cooking.  When beans are finished, drain the water and add to bowl along with cheddar cheese and seasonings.  Mix again until well combined.

Place an egg roll wrapper on a flat surface, with one corner pointing towards you.  Place about 1/4 cup mixture in the middle of the wrapper.

Fold corner closest to you over the mixture and roll a little bit.  Then fold in side corner and continue rolling.  Dip your finger in water and moisten the last corner and press to seal as you roll the rest of the way.

Continue with remaining wrappers.  (I ended up with about 17 egg rolls, but you could get more or less depending on how much filling you add.)  Place them on a lightly greased baking sheet.  Spray lightly with cooking spray.

Bake at 425 for 15 minutes, turning once during cooking.

And here's what they look like when done baking!

Serve warm with salsa!

Delicious!  We ate these for a meatless dinner, but they can also be a heavy appetizer!

Contact me at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com if you'd like to have these ingredients on hand!

Q-Pon Cooking: September 2015: Sweet Corn -- Easy Spanish Rice

I wanted to make some Chubby Cream Cheese Chicken Taquitos for my family's dinner the pay period, and pondered a recipe I could serve with those.  I generally try to stay within a similar "theme" for dinners, so if I make something that sounds sort of Mexican...  Well, I work on having something else Hispanic.  I'm maybe a bit crazy ;).

So I remembered a recipe on the #10 can of THRIVE Mixed Bell Peppers for Easy Spanish Rice that sounded -- well -- easy!  And then it turned out that this recipe called for THRIVE Sweet Corn, the Q-Pon item for September!  So that was a bonus!

The recipe is super easy, and I was able to throw it all together while having 5 kids ages 8 and under in my house (one of them 2 1/2 months old and 2 of them 2 year olds!).  I call that a winner if I can be successful with a dish under those circumstances :).

I used the recipe to start, but added many more THRIVE ingredients than the original recipe called for, ergo I had to play with the water a little bit and didn't keep an accurate measurement.  But I'd say I added around 3 cups of water total.

EASY SPANISH RICE
1/4 cup THRIVE Mixed Bell Peppers
2 tablespoons THRIVE Chopped Onions
1 teaspoon THRIVE Chicken Bouillon
3 cups water
1 cup THRIVE Sweet Corn (Q-Pon item this month -- contact me!)
1/2 cup Salsa
1 1/2 cup THRIVE Instant White Rice

Add all ingredients except rice to medium saucepan and cook 10 minutes, finally bringing to a boil.  Add rice and cover.  Remove from heat and let stand 10 minutes.  *Optional, add shredded cheddar cheese and stir.  (I didn't do this initially, but when I had leftovers, I added some cheese and thought it was wonderful with the cheese!)

This was super easy to throw together, as I said.  A great side dish!  The THRIVE Sweet Corn will be the Q-Pon item for all of September.  If you have a Q, simply add the corn to your next Q shipment!  If not, contact me at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com and I'll help you get the great price on this very popular -- and delicious -- THRIVE Life product!

Happy THRIVEing!

Farfalle Basil Marinara

This is now one of my go-to dinners!  Especially in the summer!  It's stove-top.  It's fast.  And it's delicious!  My whole family loves it!  It was served at a Power Up Seattle, and I knew I wanted to have it again at home!  And now we have it again and again :).

FARFALLE BASIL MARINARA
2 cups farfalle (bowtie) pasta*
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 tablespoon garlic
1 1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons THRIVE Chopped Onions
1/2 cup THRIVE Tomato Dices
1/4 cup THRIVE Classic Tomato Sauce, dry
1/4 teaspoon THRIVE Chef's Choice Seasoning Blend
1/2 tablespoon Basil*
1/4 cup THRIVE Shredded Parmesan Cheese

Cook pasta in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes until done.  Drain and set aside.

Sweat oil and garlic together in saucepan.  Add all remaining ingredients except Parmesan and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes.

Toss pasta with sauce and Parmesan and bring back to a simmer.  Simmer another minute or so and then enjoy!

*Denotes other ingredients available through THRIVE Life.

As written, this recipe makes about 3 servings.  But it would be very easy to double it for a larger family!  Seriously, our dinner was done in about 30 minutes from start to finish that night!  We served this dish alongside sauteed spinach, fresh strawberries, and French bread!  Yum!

And let me just say that I love the Classic Tomato Sauce!  I never would have considered buying it had it now been for trying this recipe at the Power Up.  Now I consider it a home store staple!

Happy THRIVEing!

Q-Pon Cooking: July 2015: Sausage Crumbles -- Pizza Pasta

It's nearly the end of July, which means time is running out to snag the great deal on THRIVE Sausage!  It's the Q-Pon item for just a few more days, so let me know if you want to get some before the opportunity passes you by!

THRIVE Sausage Crumbles is easily one of my favorite THRIVE Life products!  I have used it in so many recipes.  Here is a small sampling of those recipes:

Mountain Man Mix
Italian Bowtie Pasta (which can also be a jar meal!)
Sausage and Pepper Brunch Pizza
Sasuage Zuppa Toscana (which can also be a jar meal!)

Truth is, before I was introduced to THRIVE Sausage Crumbles, I maybe bought sausage 2 or 3 times a year.  Now that they are a part of my home store -- and so easy to use! -- I use sausage so much more!  It's awesome.

So here is one more recipe for you to try out with the awesome THRIVE Sausage Crumbles!  And remember, if you want to grab some at this great price, contact me at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com or you can order through my website at www.thriveingnilla.thrivelife.com/thriveingnilla.

PIZZA PASTA
1 cup THRIVE Sausage Crumbles (I cut this back to about 3/4 cup for my family's meat preferences)
1/4 cup THRIVE Chopped Onion
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 cup THRIVE Tomato Sauce (also on special this month!)
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon basil
2 cups rotini pasta (or pasta of your choice)
1/2 cup THRIVE Mozzarella Cheese (also on special this month!)
1/4 cup THRIVE Parmesan Cheese
Sliced Pepperoni
2 cups water

Add all ingredients except peperoni and both cheeses to a saucepan and add 2 cups water.  Bring to a boil.  Boil about 15 minutes or until pasta is done.  While there is still thick juicy sauce, add the pepperoni on top and then sprinkle the cheeses on top.  Broil 3 to 5 minutes until cheese is melted.  (You can choose to re-hydrate the cheeses first and they will melt better).

This can also be prepared as a jar meal!  I will be doing it one of these days to hopefully use at a future jar meal event!

I didn't invent this recipe, but got it from a consultant who shared it in a facebook group.  I think it's quite tasty!  And totally kid-pleasing!  We rounded our meal out with grapes and salad ;).

Happy THRIVEing!

Throw & Go Vegetable Beef Soup

I've said it before, and I'll say it again:  one of my favorite things about THRIVE Life is how it helps me save time -- or have a good, healthy meal easily when I don't have any time.  Or when I have very little motivation to make dinner :).  (And I accept that as the way it is when I could deliver a baby any day!)

Well, Tuesday was one of those days.  I'd had a doctor's appointment, hit up Costco, the bank and Target, washed some laundry, took care of a toddler, took the toddler to the library to get new books...  And by dinner-time, I didn't have any meat thawed, and I really didn't feel like doing anything much.  It was quite tempting to go through a drive-thru while out at the library!

But I knew that wasn't the best option for us.  And so I convinced myself to come home and figure out something fast and easy with all my delicious THRIVE!

And I came up with this "Throw & Go Vegetable Beef Soup!"  And I liked it!  The THRIVE Ground Beef may be my new favorite item!!!

Seriously, I just threw a bunch of stuff in a pot, brought it to a boil, reduced to simmer and let it simmer 15 minutes.  I thawed out some french bread I'd made and frozen earlier.  And dinner was done!  Here's how I did it (but just realize you can adapt to your likes and preferences with THRIVE Life!)

THROW AND GO VEGETABLE BEEF SOUP
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons THRIVE Chopped Onion
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons THRIVE Celery
3 tablespoons THRIVE Carrot Dices
1/4 cup THRIVE Green Peas
1/4 cup THRIVE Mushrooms
1/4 cup THRIVE Asparagus
1 teaspoon THRIVE Chicken Bouillon
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce*
1 14-ounce can chicken broth*
2 cups water
1/2 cup THRIVE Ground Beef

Heat oil in a saucepan/pot over medium heat.  Add onion and saute 30 seconds.  Pour in tomato sauce, broth, water.  Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to simmer and allow to cook 15 minutes. 

*Denotes other ingredients available through THRIVE Life.

I enjoyed the flavor in this soup and I could really taste the beef flavor, even after only 15 minutes!  I thought this was awesome for a no-plan meal :).  And I loved that I got all my veggies in and in such variety!  The only thing I'll do differently in the future is add either some macaroni or potato chunks.  But that'll be just as simple with THRIVE Life :)!

I love my home store!

Prepping for Baby!

As part of preparing for the arrival of our little bundle of joy, I knew I wanted to have several meals on-hand.  Over time, I decided I didn't just want dinner meals readily available, but also breakfast (since I have a hungry toddler to feed in the mornings :)). 

Once again, THRIVE Life has helped me!  And I can't say how much I love how versatile the product is.  It has helped me in so many ways with shaving time off meal prep, reducing waste, and offering my family healthier options (and easy ways to get veggies!).  And now it's helped me prepare for a baby!  So loving it!

So now I have dinners and breakfasts, all thanks to THRIVE Life! 

Here's what I now have on hand (in addition to several freezer meals that THRIVE also helped me with!):

Oatmeals (this is the basic recipe I followed, but changed up the fruit and some of the spices for some of them!)
Sausage Zuppa Toscana
Sloppy Joes (I haven't posted this as a jar meal specifically, yet, but plan to eventually.  The recipe is there, though, and I'll just add a can of tomato sauce since I don't have tomato powder on hand at the moment!)

I know it'll be so wonderful to have these on-hand when we have a newborn and sleep is hard to come by -- and time is a little crazy for a while :).  I love THRIVE, and I love my home store!

Would you love to do jar meals or learn more about them?  Contact me at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com!  We do jar meal classes periodically and are planning to do one in July for the sloppy joes!

Happy THRIVEing!

Q-Pon Cooking: Ground Beef (May 2015): Sloppy Joes

It's nearing the end of May and time is running out to take advantage of the great deal on THRIVE Ground Beef!  I have loved having this ground beef on hand, because it has made coming up with dinner in a pinch a cinch ;).  I didn't have to thaw any meat!  Or brown it, for that matter :).

In addition to the meatballs we made a few nights ago, we also tried out the ground beef in sloppy joes!  Love this recipe, which I found here.  And I love even more that it can be a jar meal!  Look for a great picture of that soon -- and a date to come make a jar of your own to take home at our next Jar Meal Event! 

We halved this recipe at my house and it still made plenty for my family!  The recipe as we made it (and as is shared below) would easily make 8 sloppy joes.  (For my family, that means it would feed 4; since my husband ate 3 of them!!!).  The recipe below is the way I made it with a few adaptations (for example, I didn't have tomato powder on hand, so I used a can of tomato sauce).

SLOPPY JOES
1 cup THRIVE Ground Beef (it's the Q-Pon item this month!!)
1/4 cup THRIVE Diced Tomatoes
3 tablespoons THRIVE Mixed Bell Peppers
2 tablespoons THRIVE Celery
2 tablespoons THRIVE Chopped Onion
1 tablespoon THRIVE Green Chilies
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce*
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon salt*
1/4 teaspoon pepper*
1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 tablespoon red wine vinegar

In a skillet, bring 2 cups water to a boil.  Turn off heat and add dry ingredients to skillet.  Stir to combine.  Let rest 15 minutes.

Mix Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, tomato sauce and red wine vinegar in a small bowl until combined.  Add sauce to ingredients in skillet.

Turn stove to medium and bring to simmer.  Simmer for 15 minutes or until sauce is desired thickness, stirring occasionally.  Serve on hamburger buns.

*Denotes other ingredients available through THRIVE Life.

This recipe was awesome-sauce!  In fact, I'm jar-mealing it to have on hand for when baby comes (which could be any day now!!!).  It's a great recipe for summer, so now's the time to stock up on the THRIVE Ground Beef so you can have some :)!  It's great served with home-fries and veggies!

Contact me at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com or visit my website www.thrivelife.com/THRIVEingNilla to place your order!  Remember, if you're a Q member, you have access to the Q-Pon item by simply logging in.  If you're not a Q member, you can still get the great deal by contacting me!

Happy THRIVEing!

Sausage and Pepper Brunch Pizza

Earlier this year, I had a Pampered Chef party at my house.  As a result, I was able to score one of their new items for free!  It's this huge round baking stone that has handles and a little lip so that you can make things like quiches in it.  And I love it!

As part of the party, we made a recipe for Sausage and Pepper Brunch Pizza using the stone.  And I realized I could totally THRIVE-alize that recipe!  So I did!  And we had it for dinner the other night :).  (It was a brinner kind of evening that day...).

It was awesome having many of the ingredients on-hand, thanks to THRIVE Life!  And even more awesome that I could avoid handling raw sausage and raw eggs and the time (and mess) it would otherwise take to brown the sausage!!!  There is a reason THRIVE Sausage Crumbles are one of the most popular items THRIVE Life has to offer!!!

Below is the recipe as I made it.  But it is originally a Pampered Chef recipe and can be found here.

SAUSAGE AND PEPPER BRUNCH PIZZA

1 cup THRIVE Sausage Crumbles
3/4 cup THRIVE Red Bell Peppers (broken in smaller pieces)
1 tablespoon basil*
4 ounces Neufachtel cheese (1/3 of the fat of cream cheese option), softened
6 THRIVE Whole Eggs (6 tablespoons egg powder + 3/4 cup water)
1 16-ounce package refrigerated flaky biscuits (grands size)
4 ounces provolone cheese, shredded
black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Place sausage crumbles and red bell pepper in a bowl.  Cover with boiling water and allow to sit and reconstitute.  Drain off excess water (after 5 to 10 minutes).

Separate the flaky biscuits in half so that you have 16 biscuits.  Lay overlapping on round dish and roll or press to cover entire dish (I used a Pampered Chef round baking stone).  Make sure all seems are sealed.  Press some up the sides a bit. 

In a microwave-safe bowl, microwave cream cheese 10 to 15 seconds until very soft and stir-able.  Whisk until smooth.  Add eggs, alternating powder and water, whisking to blend well after each addition. 

Sprinkle half the cheese over the biscuits.  Then sprinkle with the sausage/pepper mixture.  Sprinkle with basil.  Carefully pour egg and cheese mixture over all.  Sprinkle black pepper on top to taste.  Bake in preheated oven 15 to 17 minutes.  Serve immediately.

Definitely delicious!  Definitely easy!  Love having THRIVE on hand to help me with my meals :)!! 

Contact me at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com or visit my website www.thrivelife.com/THRIVEingNilla if you want to know more!

Happy THRIVEing!

Q-Pon Cooking May 2015: Ground Beef: Sweet & Sour Meatballs

This month, THRIVE Ground Beef is the Q-Pon item!  Which means it is a phenomenal deal and the perfect time to stock up!  A #10 can of the ground beef usually retails for $62.49, but in May, you can get it for $43.79!  That's an amazing savings!

Plus you get all the benefits of THRIVE Ground Beef:  no handling raw meat, no need to wait for meat to thaw, and no need to have grease splatter during the browning process!  And the flavor is great, by the way ;).

So here's the recipe for some delicious Sweet & Sour Meatballs using THRIVE Ground Beef (I halved the below recipe for my smaller family ;))!

SWEET & SOUR MEATBALLS
2 cups THRIVE Ground Beef
1/2 cup dried bread crumbs
1/4 cup THRIVE Powdered Milk, rehydrated
2 tablespoons THRIVE Chopped Onions
1 teaspoon salt*
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 THRIVE Whole Egg, rehydrated (1 tablespoons powder + 2 tablespoons water)
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed*
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 can pineapple tidbits with juice (I used crushed, because it's what I had :))
1/3 cup vinegar
1/8 cup THRIVE Mixed Bell Peppers
5 cups white rice, prepared*

Rehydrate freeze-dried ground beef by bringing 4 cups water to a boil.  Add beef and boil for 5 minutes.  Drain excess water.  Mix meat, dry bread crumbs, milk, onions, salt, Worcestershire sauce, and egg together; shape into twenty 1 1/2 inch sized balls

Place in skillet and cook over medium heat, turning occasionally until brown (about 20 minutes).

Mix brown sugar and cornstarch in a skillet.  Stir in pineapple, juice, vinegar, and soy sauce.  Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally.  Reduce heat to medium, then add meatballs and peppers.

Cover and let simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes.  Serve over cooked rice.

*Denotes other ingredients available through THRIVE Life.

We served stir fry veggies alongside these meatballs.  Due to the fact that I forgot to halve the egg portion of the recipe (oops!), my meatballs didn't stick together as nicely as they should have.  However, they still tasted amazing!  My husband really liked the dish and the flavor of the ground beef!

One thing I really loved about the THRIVE Ground Beef is that it allowed me to not have a plan until later in the day!  By the time I decided on dinner, I wouldn't have had time to thaw the meat the way I prefer to thaw it (I don't like defrosting meat in the microwave, because it never comes out well!).  I love the convenience of having ground beef on-hand and ready to use at a moment's notice!!

Would you like to take advantage of the great deal on ground beef this month at THRIVE Life and enjoy the convenience of having it on-hand and the presence of it in your home store?  Contact me at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com or visit my website at www.thrivelife.com/THRIVEingNilla to place your order!  And contact me with any questions you may have!

Happy THRIVEing!

Cauliflower Tots

As with many of the recipes I try, I cannot take credit for the original of this recipe -- which can be found here.  However, I can take credit for THRIVE-alizing it ;)!

I've mentioned before that I'm always on the lookout for a new way to get vegetables into my toddler (and myself!).  So when I saw that recipe on Pinterest, I thought it was a great idea!  And totally THRIVE-alize-able!  The added bonus is that these tots are a great dipper.  And my little girl loves to dip her food in ketchup, salsa, ranch, etc.  I have used these as a vegetable for dinner, but I think they could also work as a healthy snack!

So here's the recipe the way I made it!

CAULIFLOWER TOTS
2 cups THRIVE Cauliflower
1 THRIVE Whole Egg (+ 2 tablespoons water)
1 egg white
2 tablespoons THRIVE Chopped Onions
1 tablespoon dried parsley*
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese*
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
salt and pepper to taste

In a food processor or blender, coarsely chop the cauliflower.  Pour into bowl (much of it will be powdered, but that's fine, you just want to get rid of the big pieces).  Add onion to bowl.  Add enough water to cover and allow to reconstitute for 5 minutes.  Drain.

Add THRIVE Whole Egg plus 2 tablespoons water and egg white.  Mix to combine.  Add remaining ingredients and mix well.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray (or use a silpat).  Form cauliflower mixture (about 1 tablespoon at a time) into "tater-tot" size pieces (1 inch x 1/2 inch) and place on greased cookie sheet.  Bake in preheated oven 16 to 18 minutes, turning once halfway through.

*Denotes other ingredients available through THRIVE Life.

I really like these!  They are so toddler-friendly, but even I enjoyed them :).  Dipped in ketchup they are delicious as well!  And I love that I could skip the washing, chopping, and steaming of the cauliflower.  Along with chopping onions!  Having THRVE on-hand definitely made making these faster than it would otherwise have been! 

Feel free to contact me at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com or visit my website at www.thrivelife.com/THRIVEingNilla if you'd like to make your life easier with some yummy THRIVE Life veggies!!!

Happy THRIVEing!

Jar Meal: Chicken Tortilla Soup

We have another fun jar meal party coming up on May 5th -- Cinco de Mayo!  And to celebrate, we are making Mexican-inspired soups -- in a jar!

But naturally, I wanted to test out this recipe and see how it looks in the jar and how it tastes in a bowl :)!

So tonight, my family enjoyed Chicken Tortilla Soup!  And all I did when it came time to prep dinner was bring 8 cups of water to a boil, dump in the jar of ingredients and simmer 15 to 20 minutes!  And I definitely love the ease and speed of that!

Pictured is the prepared jar with most of the THRIVE ingredient cans!  I actually didn't have any THRIVE Green Chilies on hand, but my friend Rebekah did, so she dropped some by for me.  But I didn't have the can for the picture ;).  So there's most of the cans at any rate ;).

Just a close-up of the jar.  Very pretty, don't you think!?!  So here are the ingredients in the order I placed them in the jar:

1 cup THRIVE Chopped Chicken
2/3 cup THRIVE Green Chilies
1/2 cup THRIVE Chopped Onions
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 cup THRIVE Tomato Powder
2 teaspoons THRIVE Chicken Bouillon
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup THRIVE Sweet Corn

To prepare, add contents of jar to 8 cups boiling water.  Reduce heat to low and simmer 15 to 20 minutes.  Top with your favorite toppings:  tortilla chips, sour cream, cheese, green onions, salsa, etc...  *If you prefer a higher fat content in your soup, you may consider adding a tablespoon of olive oil to the water when bringing it to a boil.

And when you're ready to eat, it tastes delicious and looks like this!

This was as definite win in our household!  I'll be making it -- in a jar for easy meals on busy days! -- again and again!  If you'd like to have one (or more) of this jar meal on hand, join us at my house on May 5th anytime from 7 to 9 p.m.  Just drop on in!  Plus you can sample all these delicious recipes -- and more -- while mingling and visiting with others!  It's sure to be a great time!  Contact me at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com for more information and location!

Or you can order the ingredients and make your own jars at home!  Just visit my website: www.thrivelife.com/THRIVEingNilla or contact me to place your order!  Remember, the BIG DEAL Sale is still going on through Monday, so now's a great time to get great prices on these ingredients!

Happy THRIVEing!

Lots of THRIVE!

The other day I used a lot of THRIVE to make dinner and dessert!  It was a lot of fun trying new things :).

Pictured above was dinner, drink, and dessert from that day -- and, being that I don't get super motivated these days until after 2 p.m., that's when I started working on all of this!  Definitely couldn't have done that much without my THRIVE!

First up:  drinks!  The truth is, we are mainly water drinkers in my household.  But every once in a while, a yummy fruity drink sounds really appealing.  So I can understand why experts recommend having some juice mixes as part of your home store.  I have used this THRIVE Simply Peach drink mix for a variety of juices as well as putting it into my smoothies.  I needed the juice for the dessert I'd decided to make, so I went ahead and made up a full batch and enjoyed some of the juice with dinner :).  Simply follow the guidelines on the #10 can (2 tablespoons THRIVE Simply Peach to 1 cup water) and oila!   You have a simple, but yummy juice.  It's a real treat for my toddler when she can have juice with dinner.  And she gulps it down fast.

What I love?  IT HAS NO ARTIFICIAL COLORS!  That's such a win, when so many powdered drinks are full of artificial colors!

Next up:  dinner!  It was one of those "what am I going to make for dinner?" days...  I mean, I had my menu list all planned out -- like I do most pay periods.  But I flat out forgot to pull meat out to thaw.  And this is one of the reasons I love my THRIVE meats.  They are ready to use, even at the last minute.  So I found a recipe on the THRIVE Life website for Chicken Broccoli Alfredo.  You can follow that link and get the original recipe.  You can even make this as a jar meal.  Here's how I did it (with what I had on hand):

CHICKEN BROCCOLI ALFREDO
1 heaping cup shell macaroni
1/2 cup THRIVE Bechamel Sauce
2 tablespoons THRIVE Sour Cream Powder
1 1/2 teaspoon THRIVE Chopped Onions
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoon Italian Seasoning*
1 teaspoon THRIVE Chef's Choice Seasoning
1 1/2 teaspoons THRIVE Chicken Bouillon
1 cup THRIVE Seasoned Chicken Slices
1 cup THRIVE Broccoli
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan Cheese*

Place all ingredients except Parmesan Cheese in a saucepan with 4 1/2 cups water.  Allow to sit for 10 minutes.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes or until pasta is done, stirring occasionally.  Stir in Parmesan Cheese until melted and incorporated.

*Denotes other ingredients available through THRIVE Life.

So the things I loved about this dish: 
1.  It was all in one pot.
2.  It was easy to throw together.
3.  I didn't have to worry about thawing meat, etc.

But I have to be honest...  I personally didn't especially like this meal.  I think it was the Italian Seasoning.  Granted, I don't have THRIVE Italian Seasoning, so maybe that makes a difference.  But I just didn't enjoy that flavor.  My toddler really didn't like it.  My husband, however, said he didn't think it was bad.  So I guess it's all in personal preference.  But I have to share my true feelings, and those are that I don't plan to make this again.

For some reason, anytime I make pasta, I feel like I need bread to go with it.  Clearly, I did not start my meal-making in time to do a yeast bread.  And even throwing together scratch biscuits seemed like a lot of effort (lazy, huh?).  But then it occurred to me I could do the next best thing!  Sort of scratch biscuits!  I grabbed my Honey Whole Wheat Mix and decided to try making biscuits with it!  A quick glance at the ingredients told me it already had shortening in the mix, along with flour and salt...  Basically I just had to add a leavening agent.  And that was simple enough with baking powder!  So here's my recipe:

HONEY WHOLE WHEAT DROP BICUITS
2 cups THRIVE Honey Whole Wheat Dough Mix
3 teaspoons baking powder*
1 1/4 cups milk*

Place the dough mix into a medium bowl and add baking powder.  Stir well to combine.  Add milk and mix.  Drop by heaping tablespoons onto a greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 450 for 9 minutes.  (I got 9 biscuits.)

*Denotes other ingredients available through THRIVE Life.

You can add less milk if you want to make "cut out" biscuits.  But I like the drop biscuits, because they are fast.

And finally...  What I did for dessert ;).  Which was just a random idea I had, so I ran with it.  And it's also a pretty decent snack for a toddler!  I'm calling them Strawberry Peach Jiggly Squares :).

STRAWBERRY-PEACH JIGGLY SQUARES
4 cups THRIVE Simply Peach, prepared (this is 4 cups water plus 8 tablespoons THRIVE Simply Peach drink mix)
4 packets unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup coarsely chopped THRIVE Strawberry Slices

Bring 3 cups of prepared juice to a boil.  Place one cup of prepared juice in a large bowl.  Sprinkle all 4 packets of gelatin over juice. Allow to sit for a minute.  Pour hot juice into the bowl and stir until all gelatin is dissolved.  Stir in THRIVE Strawberry Slices.  Pour into a 9x13 pan (I usually spray with cooking spray for even easier release later!).  Refrigerate until firm.  Cut into squares.

Again, one thing I really love about this is that there are no artificial colors!  Don't get me wrong, I'm not great at staying away from all the artificial colors.  And who doesn't love Jell-o Jigglers?  But if I can come up with something just as fun and kid-friendly without the fake stuff?  I'm totally in!

Anyway, I had a lot of fun experimenting and playing around and trying new things.  And I just really love how THRIVE Life has often come to the rescue on those days when I am not as prepared as I could be to make dinner ;)!

Happy THRIVEing!  And, as always, contact me at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com with any questions or to place an order to help your meal-times not be a conundrum when you forget to thaw the meat ;)!!!

Cooking with the Q-Pon (March 2015): Chicken Divan

This dish is one of my family's go-to favorites!  And I'm loving how much easier it has gotten with THRIVE Life!

This was my first time using THRIVE Broccoli, and let me say:  I am in love!!  I can see many uses for this fabulous and time-saving ingredient!  I love broccoli in a lot of my meals, so I am excited!  I especially love that these are all washed and chopped -- and just the florets!  I have never enjoyed the thick stems of broccoli, and I would always buy the florets only from the frozen section.  Well, now I don't have to!  I have my THRIVE Broccoli!

And, as a side note, I am still loving the THRIVE Sour Cream Powder!  As usual, it hadn't even occurred to me to buy fresh sour cream for this recipe.  I don't know why, but I always forget it calls for sour cream until I start making it!  But now I no longer have to care that I forgot to buy it on grocery shopping day!  Because I always have it in my home store thanks to THRIVE Life!  And I think that is beyond awesome.

So here goes the recipe -- as I made it (the original recipe calls for the sauce to be doubled with a can of cream of chicken in addition to the can of cream of mushroom...  That was too much for us, so we always cut the sauce recipe in half as follows):

CHICKEN DIVAN
3 cups white rice, cooked*
1 1/2 cups THRIVE Broccoli
1 cup THRIVE Chopped Chicken
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese*
Sauce:
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup THRIVE Sour Cream Powder (+ 2 tablespoons water)
1/2 teaspoon curry (you can adjust this to your taste -- we like the curry flavor)

Preheat oven to 350.

In a medium bowl, rehydrate the chicken and broccoli with water (5 to 10 minutes).  Drain excess water, if necessary.  In a large bowl, make the THRIVE Sour Cream by rehydrating with water.  Add other sauce ingredients and mix until well blended.

Spread the cooked rice in the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan.  Spread the chicken and broccoli mixture over the rice.  Spread the sauce mixture over the broccoli and chicken.  Top with shredded cheddar cheese.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly on the side and cheese is all melted.

*Denotes other ingredients available through THRIVE Life.

Even the leftovers are amazing with this dish!

The broccoli is the Q-Pon item this month, so if you'd love to get some at this great discounted price, add it to your Q if you're a Q Club member.  If not, contact me at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com and I'll get it ordered for you!

Meals in a Jar Open House Sneak Peek!

Some of you are aware that my friend and I will be holding a Meals in a Jar Open House at the end of the month!  There are going to be some fabulous "jar meals" there, and you won't want to miss out on the opportunity to see what THRIVE Life can do to simplify your life on the crazy busy days!  We will be vacuum sealing these jars, making them shelf-stable for 5 years!  That's just awesome!


One of the meals attendees can make is my Italian Bowtie Pasta! It includes the following THRIVE Life ingredients:

THRIVE Sausage Crumbles
THRIVE Vegetarian Chicken Bouillon
THRIVE Chopped Onions
THRIVE Tomato Powder
THRIVE Rainbow Farfalle Pasta

A few other dried herbs finish off the delicious meal in a jar (oregano, thyme, and basil), and oila!  You'll have a quick and easy go-to meal that is way healthier than going through a drive-thru -- and cheaper too!  This particular meal is $9 a jar, and will make 8 1-cup servings -- which comes to only $1.13 per serving!

So if you're interested in trying out this meal in a jar -- or one of the others we'll have available for you to make, stop by the Sunn Fjord Condominiums Clubhouse on March 31st between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. and make one to take home! 

Contact me at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com if you need directions or more information!

Arroz Con Pollo Con THRIVE (Panamanian Chicken and Rice)

Well, I've been experimenting again...  And tonight I tried Arroz con Pollo (Panamanian Chicken and Rice) using a ton of THRIVE Life ingredients!

I grew up on this dish.  It has a little special place in my heart.  And it occurred to me I could make it with my THRIVE!  And save myself lots of time by so doing.  Tonight, I had this dish simmering after 20 minutes (including my toddler's "help").  No joke.  When I make it the traditional way -- without THRIVE -- I'm in the kitchen anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour.

Here's how THRIVE Life saved me that much time:

1.  I didn't use raw chicken.  This means I didn't have to clean the chicken or disinfect the counters when I was done.  My THRIVE Chopped Chicken was ready for me to use, already cooked!
2.  I didn't have to wash or chop my vegetables.  This included celery, onion, cilantro, and bell pepper.  Saved me 5 to 10 minutes right there!
3.  I was able to skip the browning chicken step -- as well as the shredding chicken step.  This is another 5 to 10 minutes, typically.
4.  Though this didn't technically save me time in the kitchen (since I could be out of the kitchen while it was happening), it did save on how long it took to get dinner to the table:  I didn't have to boil and cook the chicken.

In fact, this was ready in about 55 minutes (but only 20 of that was hands-on -- the rest was just letting the rice cook).  When I make this dish for dinner without THRIVE, I plan for starting dinner 2 hours before I want to eat it.  And even then, sometimes it takes longer.

So here's the recipe how I made it.

ARROZ CON POLLO/PANAMANIAN CHICKEN AND RICE
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons THRIVE Chopped Onions (freeze dried)
1/3 cup THRIVE Celery
1/3 cup THRIVE Mixed Bell Peppers
1 tablespoon THRIVE Cilantro
4 tablespoons THRIVE Tomato Powder
1 teaspoon salt*
6 1/2 cups water
3/4 cup THRIVE Chopped Chicken
1/2 teaspoon oregano*
1 1/2 cups white rice*
1/3 cup THRIVE Green Peas
1/3 cup THRIVE Carrot Dices (optional)
1/2 cup sliced green olives (optional)

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add minced garlic and give a quick stir.  Toss in THRIVE Chopped Onions, THRIVE Celery, THRIVE Mixed Bell Peppers and THRIVE Cilantro.  Give everything a little stir, then add 2 1/2 cups water.  Stir in THRIVE Tomato Powder and salt.  Add additional 4 cups of water, THRIVE Chopped Chicken, white rice, THRIVE Green Peas, and THRIVE Carrot Dices.  Cover and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to simmer and allow to cook until water is absorbed and rice is done.  Stir in green olives, if desired.

*Denotes other ingredients available through THRIVE Life.

So I'll be the first to admit this isn't exactly like the original traditional takes-a-long-time recipe.  But it's close, and it saves me so much time!  I'm excited to have found a way to make one of my favorite dishes more quickly and easily!  It means I can put it on our dinner menu more frequently :).

A couple notes:  you could add more chicken if you wanted.  We just cut back on our meat consumption a lot, so that was plenty for us.  If you do increase the chicken, you may want to increase the water a little bit too.  And, as it is often difficult to "make up" a recipe (at least for me...), I learned that I needed to increase the water (I wrote the recipe the way it needs to be, not the way I made it.  I had 1 less cup of water in mine and not all the rice got all the way cooked).  And I forgot to include my THRIVE Cilantro in the picture.  Grrr...  Oh well ;).  It's in the recipe, so that's what really counts!

Meal in a Jar: Sausage Zuppa Toscana

I cannot take credit for the creation of this recipe (like pretty much all of the recipes I post ;)).  Thanks to my Relief Society President, who found some meal in a jar recipes and posted them to our Relief Society facebook page, though, I was able to enjoy it!  The recipe can be found here, along with some other meal in a jar recipes I haven't had the opportunity to try yet.  I will post the recipe as I fixed it (mostly the same, but a couple minor differences) along with my opinions on a few things :).

Also, please note that I saw this recipe today, discovered I had the ingredients to make it, and made it today.  I put it in the jar today too, to show how pretty it is.  I didn't seal it though.  I would recommend that you do seal the jars if you plan to store the jars for longer than a couple weeks.  I figure it's better to be safe than sorry!

SAUSAGE ZOPPA TOSCANA

Using a funnel, put ingredients in a quart-sized jar in this order (you may have to gently "jog" the jar as you add):

1/2 cup THRIVE Sour Cream Powder
2 cubes beef bouillon, crushed*
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup THRIVE Chopped Spinach
1/4 cup THRIVE Chopped Onions
1 cup THRIVE Instant Pinto Beans
1 cup THRIVE Sausage Crumbles
1 1/4 cup THRIVE Potato Chunks (dehydrated)

*Denotes other ingredients available through THRIVE Life.

Add contents of jar to large pot.  Add 7 cups water.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes. 

I really liked this soup.  It was a tad on the spicy side for me (wondering what the hubby will say...  He hasn't tried it yet as he was at work ;)), but I address that in my notes :).

So here are some of my thoughts:

1.  I would make sure to use a wide-mouth quart-size jar if you have one.  The original recipe calls for 1 1/2 of the potato chunks.  I couldn't get them all to fit in the jar, so I cut back a little bit.
2.  I may try a different order for the ingredients in future, if I ever make them to seal.  Mainly because I think the powdered stuff on top of the bigger items (like the potato chunks) may "seep" in better and make it less difficult to fit everything.
3.  I will probably cut back to 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper to lighten up a bit on the spicy.  But if you love spicy, keep it at 1/2 teaspoon!
4.  Given the above statement...  I don't recommend this for a toddler.  I didn't even attempt giving it to my munchkin, because I figured it would be too hot for her.
5.  I used beef bouillon, though the original recipe calls for chicken bouillon, because beef is what I had on-hand.  And I really wanted to try this recipe tonight -- and not go to the store!
6.  I reduced the suggested water to 7 cups.  Depending on how thick the leftovers get, I may choose to increase the water in the future ;).

I definitely think this is a keeper!  Love that I had all the ingredients on-hand.  And, literally, this took no more than minutes to put in the jar (and 10 seconds to put in the pot ;)!!).  Even if I choose not to "jar" this meal in the future, I will have dinner cooking within 5 to 10 minutes!  What's not to love about that!?!

Four Bean "Chili"

Prior to heading out to Alabama for two weeks on vacation, our family was trying to not buy additional groceries we'd have to use up before we left!  And THRIVE was definitely handy at that point!  Because, even opened, my THRIVE products could sit and wait for our return -- including the onions and celery!  It's just awesome.

So, one night, while I was looking through our cupboards and trying to decide what to make, I decided on trying out a semi-made-up recipe.  And I came up with this Four Bean "Chili."  My main goal in preparing this dish was to use up 3 strips of bacon I had the in the fridge.  Fortunately, we also have many different kinds of beans!  I chose to use 3 types of dry beans (which required that I soak them overnight) plus some of the THRIVE Instant Pinto Beans I have.  So here's the recipe I came up with!

FOUR BEAN "CHILI"
1/2 cup dry white beans*
1/2 cup dry black beans*
1/2 cup dry kidney beans*
1/2 cup THRIVE Instant Pinto Beans
3 slices raw bacon
1 cube beef bouillon*
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons THRIVE Chopped Onions
1/4 cup THRIVE Celery
salt, pepper, cumin, garlic powder to taste
Water to cover beans in crock pot (about 2 to 3 cups)

In a large bowl, rinse and sort dry beans.  Fill bowl with fresh water to doubly cover the beans.  Allow to soak overnight.  The next morning, drain and rinse beans and place in the bottom of a crock pot.

Add THRIVE Instant Pinto Beans and the remaining ingredients.  Cook on high for 2 hours, then low for 4 to 6 hours.  Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, or other toppings of your choice, if desired.

*Denotes ingredients also available through THRIVE Life.

THRIVE Mashed Potatoes

This month, THRIVE Life introduced a new product:  THRIVE Mashed Potatoes!!!  Naturally, I had to order some on my Q :). 

For one thing -- and I don't know why this is -- I never use fresh potatoes fast enough when I buy them, even a 5 pound bag!  So this was a wonderful solution for that!  Mashed potatoes without waste!

Another awesome thing about these mashed potatoes is that there is nothing additional in the can!  The ingredient list is brief:  potatoes.  

This was also a super-duper awesome, easy, and fast solution to a side dish for dinner!  And I needed exactly that.  Because the munchkin and I had had quite the day.  And we had a friend with her 4 kids coming over for dinner...  And I was taking dinner to another friend who'd just had baby #5 (via c-section). 

Knowing I was feeding -- literally -- a crowd, I decided on a wonderful Slow Cooker Salisbury Steaks recipe I enjoy, and which makes a lot!  I also knew I wanted to do a broccoli and cauliflower salad which was pretty quick and easy to throw together.  And my THRIVE Mashed Potatoes were the perfect side dish for this meal!  Because what pairs better with a Salisbury Steak gravy than mashed potatoes!?!





I prepped the mashed potatoes according to the recipe on the back of the #10 Can -- with a few alterations.  Below is the recipe as I made it:

SEASONED MASHED POTATOES
1 1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt*
2 tablespoons THRIVE Butter Powder
1 tablespoon THRIVE Instant Milk Powder
1 cup THRIVE Mashed Potatoes
pepper to taste

Combine water, salt, THRIVE Butter Powder, THRIVE Instant Milk Powder in a small saucepan.  Bring to a simmer and add THRIVE Mashed Potatoes.  Whisk until combined and remove from heat.  Add pepper to taste and mix in.  Allow to rest 1 minute before serving.

*Denotes ingredients also available through THRIVE Life.

Naturally, I increased the amounts I made and adjusted the ingredients accordingly.  But this was definitely easy and amazing!

The comment I got from my friend who ate dinner with us:  "Wow!  These taste really good!  The texture is nice!  Not like other instant potatoes!"

I call that a win.

The other win?  These have a shelf-life of 5 years unopened and about a year opened!  So I don't have to worry about moldy potatoes again :)!